A fire broke out at the ISKCON camp in Mahakumbh Nagar on Friday and spread to over a dozen nearby camps, officials confirmed. Fire tenders were dispatched immediately, and the blaze was contained with no casualties reported.
Chief Fire Officer Pramod Sharma stated, “Upon receiving information about the fire at the ISKCON camp in Sector 18, fire tenders were immediately dispatched. The fire has been fully contained.”
The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are still being assessed, officials said.
This is the third fire incident at the Kumbh Mela venue. On January 19, a fire in Sector 19, triggered by a cylinder blast, destroyed multiple camps. Another fire on January 25 occurred in Sector 2, where a short circuit in one vehicle caused flames to spread to an adjacent car.
Apart from fire incidents, the Mela also witnessed a stampede on January 29, when millions gathered for a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya.
The Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13, is scheduled to continue until February 26.